Martin Partington: Spotlight on the Justice System

The Independent Commissioner for Victims and Witnesses is a post created under the Domestic Violence, Crime and Victims Act 2004. The post has been held, since July 2010 by Louise Casey. She came to the post with a formidable reputation for speaking up about the consequences of anti-social behaviour, and she has taken this outspoken approach into her new role. Over the last 15 months she has issued a number of reports and made a number of important speeches about how the criminal justice system fails the victims of crime, particularly serious violent crime.
In just the last month (October 2011) she has published reports on research into the view of victims on their experience of court and sentencing, and on the needs of families suffering bereavement because of homicide.
She has now announced her resignation to take up a new role to consider the riots which took place in London and other major cities in the summer of 2011.
The Justice Secretary has published a letter thanking her for her work, but also – possibly ominously – indicating that her resignation gives an opportunity to rethink the Commissioner’s role.
To find out more about the Commissioner and her work go to http://www.justice.gov.uk/about/vc/index.htm